GD60

Yeah!

Tickets?  Check...

Hotel? Check...

Flight?  Check...

Can't wait.

One more in the books...

2025 Dunedin Triathlon

I'm going to start this post by saying that I am always ok with my results if I finish an event, and I finished my event yesterday.  The medal is already up with all the others.  However, I think it's always useful to look at results with a critical eye and ask "could I have done better?" and in this case the answer is a clear yes.  

So, why do I think that?   Well, I didn't really train the way I should have.  I'm not saying that I'm not in good shape because that's just not true.  If anything, I am in better overall shape than I was last September.  I'm stronger than I was, and my running times have gotten better since then, but when it came to preparing for the Tri I just kept doing what I had been doing all spring which was cycling and weight training.   I went for exactly one swim, and that was before the Long center closed for renovations.   I swam the distance I wanted then, but I was a little tired afterwards and open water swimming is harder than pool swimming.  So it's hardly an exaggeration to say I wasn't well trained for the swimming part, and that showed in the water.   I got tired and had to take several rests during the swim.  It probably didn't help that I took a boxing class on Friday night and burned out my shoulders, but if I'd been swimming every week, LIKE I SHOULD HAVE, I would have felt better in the ocean.

I have no complaints about my cycling performance, because I feel like I clearly improved on that.  Once I got over the salt flavor in my mouth I rode fast and consistently.   Average speed was good (18mph) and I peaked at 25 on a downhill stretch.   I didn't feel like I overdid the bike and got off it feeling pretty good.   Maybe I should have focused more on endurance and speed, but again I improved on that, so instead I'll say I need to drink more water while riding, and I should have worn my gloves.

The biggest let down for me was my running performance.  I had to start walking almost immediately, never got into a good running rhythm and walked for most of the 5k.  My hip and back were hurting for the entire section and it really crushed my performance.   Yes it was hot.   Yes I might have been a little dehydrated.   Side note, I had my fitly but couldn't find it in transition so I left it behind, but I've done events before and been able to cope, and I think there are a couple of reasons why.

First, I didn't get a good nights sleep on Saturday.   Getting up at 445am is tough and I should have been in bed earlier and sleeping.   That was almost all my fault.  I was stressed and overreacted to something with Merinda that wound me up.  Not sure if that's why the room felt like it as boiling hot all night, but that didn't help.  

Second, as with the swimming I didn't train the way I should have, and that goes back to New Years.  I pulled a muscle in that race and it made me feel like I was behind, so once I was able to run again I started doing a lot of 5k's in a short period of time.   In hindsight that was a mistake.  Not that it was too much "work", because it wasn't, but running all that over a few weeks really made my joints sore, and as a result I had to rest them coming into the race.   In fact, the last time I ran before Sunday, was the 5k by the bay which was on April 5th.   That would have been a fine tune-up race, but I needed to get out and run between then and Sunday instead of taking a six week break which I had to do because I'd worn myself out.

Needless to say, with no swimming or running training I didn't do any combo workouts, so I was physically unprepared for the demands of swim>bike>run.  We can add in that I didn't do a lot of longer workouts since I've been trying to be leaner/stronger rather than endurance focused which is what a triathlon is all about.  As I said in the beginning, I'm in good shape, so I was able to gut it out, but since I'm 57 with joint problems, instead of 27 I struggled more than a younger athlete would.  Especially since I didn't do any triathlon specific training.

Ok, what's the point of all this?  I've become somewhat of a realist about my capabilities, and I'm 100% ok with accepting them.   If I've set goals that are too ambitious, I can accept that, but I need to see that when I feel like I did my best, and I just don't feel that I did yesterday.  If I follow a good training plan, and stick to it, and get similar results I'll accept it, but I need to do my part.

With that, let me talk about how I plan to address this.  I have one event planned this summer and it's the 4 on the 4th in St. Pete.   I plan to compete in this, and I plan to start some light training runs in June.  I will not be competing in the Tarpon tri due to a grandchild being born, and I'm ok with that too.   I'm going to work on distance cycling for the Ride for the Animals in November, and some distance running goals.   I still want to get to 10k runs if I can.  If I can maintain a decent running program though the winter I plan to start training for Dunedin early next spring which means swimming regularly and getting that stamina back.  Assuming I can do all that I'll find a training plan and STICK TO IT.   I don't care if it's difficult, or inconvenient, it needs to be a commitment.   I was successful at the marathon because I stuck to my training plan.  Obviously, if I have a health issue that prevents it I will have to consider my options at that point, but if I want to run Miami in 2027 I can't expect to wing it and be successful.

This was a long post.  tldr I didn't train well, I acknowledge and accept that, and will pay attention to that for upcoming events to avoid feeling like I let myself down.

Just file this one under lessons learned.

It's time....

Auspicious number 

Not even twelve hours to go and I'm feeling a bit nervous, but pulling number 67 seems like some good luck.  I was hoping they'd have a more interesting shirt this year, but at least it's a different color :)  

I have everything packed up, the bike is ready, parking pass is printed and I'm charging my Garmin.   All I need to do in the morning is get dressed, make up some bottles and double check that I have everything.  New shades, new suit, new headband.   I'm as ready as I'm going to be...

I go off at 7:33 so I should be done around 9:15 or so.   Talk then!

runDisney

Well I got into this years virtual series again, so looking forward to some free Disney swag and a few medals.   I've backed off on the virtual runs because my knees have been tender this year, but now I have a good reason to run a little more...  LFG

In other news I pick up my Tri packet tomorrow so shit just got real again :)

May day

We're finally getting into the warm weather here in Florida, so it's safe to say spring has arrived.  Not quite at sauna levels, but we'll get that soon.  While I'll miss the cooler weather, it will be nice when the pool warms up, seems like it's a little late this year.

With that, let's talk about exercise.   As I already mentioned, I had a few 5k's in April and I'm glad those are behind me.   My knees have been pretty sore and cranky for most of this month and I'm glad to give them a little time to recover, but I do have the Dunedin Triathalon soon, so they're going to get beat up again.

How did April turn out?  As a reminder, these were my goals:

• Maintain my weight
• Ride 500 miles
• April Apple challenge
• Perfect Month in Apple
• Gold in my April challenge
• All the bonuses in #mc52
• Swim at least twice this month
• Weekly weight or row workout
• Weekly swim workout
• Two outdoor bike rides
• Walking on the weekends where there's no 5k

And my results:

Weight Results:

• Starting Weight:  217.1
• Ending Weight:  223.7

Exercise Info:

• Number of rides:  58
• Time on exercise:  22:16:31
• Distance on rides:  300.71
• Number of runs:  10
• Distance running:  10.46mi
• Number of walks:  9
• Time walking:  3:29:20
• Distance walking:  9.15
• Number of rows:  0
• Time rowing:  0
• Distance Rowing:  0
• Number of swims:  0
• Distance swimming:  0
• Weight Workouts:  24

Lots to unpack here.   First off, I didn't do 24 weight workouts, some of those are instances where I got kicked and rejoined the class, however, I do weight training a couple of times per week.  Since I'm doing more cross training and less spin, I use Apple Fitness as my data repository and it doesn't handle Echelon errors.   Unfortunately Echelon doesn't do a good job of splitting different modalities out, so all I see is 111 workouts in a month.   Regardless, this is the best I can do right now.  In terms of my goals, I missed a few; my mileage target, outdoor bike rides, swimming, rowing and the bonuses in #mc52.  I also seem to have put on a few pounds.   Both Merinda and I think this is muscle gain, especially since I'm able to wear jeans that have a 34 waist, and I am noticably more muscular.  I don't think I'm overeating, but I will be keeping my eye on it since I worked far too hard to lose the weight just to put it back on.  

So what's going on?   Well, I've been pretty sore this month.  I think its the increased amount of weight training I'm doing and a batch of 5k's in a row but the reasons don't matter, what has happened is I've been trying to lower my overall training load to rest, recover and heal.  As a result I do a lot less double or triple workout days, and when I do the extra workouts are weight training, or a walk, instead of extra cycling.  The trip up to VA for Tyler ended up being a recovery weekend as all I did was walk/yoga and it was something I really needed.  Factor in that most of the live rides I can do are bootcamps and that kills my distance.   Swimming and outdoor rides are just me being lazy about it and not being home.   I don't like to ride outdoors when Merinda's away but I really need to get outdoors on the bike.

I can't say April was a complete failure.   Other than my sore legs I feel pretty good.  My performance in classes has never been better and even if it takes me a little to get moving, my running performance has been solid.   I like my overall training/fitness plan and believe it's helping me get stronger and fitter, and other than a few things I think this was a pretty good month.   I can't give myself more than a B because I missed so many small things, but overall a really solid month.

With that said, what's on tap for May?   I have to finish getting ready for Dunedin.  I think I'm physically ready but I need to get loosened up for swimming, so I'll need a few trips to the pool.   I also need to get a few longish outdoor bike rides in, just to get used to that, and probably one light run.   I have just over two weeks to go and I feel like I'm behind, even if its nerves.

With all that, here are my May goals:

• Finish Triathlon with no walking during the run
• Maintain my weight
• Ride 300 miles
• May Apple Fitness challenge
• Perfect Month in Apple
• Gold in my May challenge
• Continue weekly weight workouts.
• Row post triathlon

A few noticable changes for this month.   My main goal is definitely the Triathlon and ideally I'd like to set my PR in it, if I finish without walking I should be able to do that.   The changes are a much lower mileage target and I removed swimming since I won't be swimming after the race for a while.  I also know I won't hit all the goals in #mc53 so no point in putting that in.   I'm sure I'll get plenty of exercise this month, but with race prep, taper down, race and recovery, I won't have energy to focus on max distance or specific Echelon classes.  Depending on how my knees feel I might try to pick up a run once a week or every other week after the race.

Otherwise things are grand.   Hope you all have a great month and we'll talk soon!